Apparatus for applying pressure to shoe bottoms



Dec. 8, 1936. L. G. KNOWLES APPARATUS FOR APPLYING PRESSURE TO SHOEBOTTOMS Filed June 30, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 8, 1936. ow Es2,063,041

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING PRESSURE' TO SHOE B OTTOM$ Filed June 30, 1933 3Sheets-Sheet 2 AWE/V705 mhm Dec; 8,1936. L. G. KNOWLES APPARATUS FORAPPLYING PRESSURE TO SHOE BOTTOMS Filed June so, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheetv 5Patented Dec. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR APPLYINGPRESSURE TO SHOE BOTTOMS Application June 30, 1933, Serial No. 678,457

13 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for use in applyingpressure to shoe bottoms and is illustrated herein as embodied in astructure intended particularly for use in cement attaching soles toshoes.

Objects of the present invention are to provide an improved pad and animproved pad box structure' for use in applying pressure to shoebottoms. While the illustrated pad and pad box were developedparticularly for use in cement attaching soles to mens shoes with theaid of a cement sole attaching machine of the character disclosed inLetters Patent of the United States N 0. 2,047,185, granted July 14',1936, on an application filed in the name of Milton H. Ballard et al.,it should be understood that the invention is not limited in its utilityto embodiment in a machine of that type, nor is it limited to use in themanufacture of mens shoes.

Features of the invention include a shoe-receiving pad having a fluidfilled chamber formed and arranged to underlie the marginal portion of ashoe bottom whereby pressure may be concentrated on that portion of theshoe bottom; a fluid (preferably liquid) filled pad having means forchanging its normal volume, illustrated herein as a cam-supportedplunger arranged by adjustment of the cam for movement relatively to thewall of the pad opposite its shoe-engaging wall, whereby the normalconformation of the shoe-engaging surface of the pad may be variedwithout introducing additional fluid into or extracting it from the pad;a novel construction by which the shank and forepart receiving portionsof the pads may be adjusted and maintained in adjusted positionrelatively to each other; and a novel mask plate constructed andarranged to prevent excessive bulging of the pad when sole attachingpressure is applied, said construction, as illustrated, includingpivoted mask plate sections having a pcriphery shaped approximately toconform to the end portion of a shoe, and means for causing the sectionsof the mask plate to move toward and from each other as they are movedlengthwise of the pad so that the exposed portion of the pad is narrowedas it is shortened and widened as it is lengthened, in accordance withthe size of the shoe to be operated on.

With the above and other objects and, features in view, the inventionwill now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings andpointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a pad box embodying my invention,including also gage mechanism for positioning the shoe and solerelatively to each other on the pad and parts of the pressure applyingmechanism of a cement sole-attaching machine;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing details of 5 means for maintainingthe forepart of the pad box of Fig. 1 inadjusted position relatively toits shank portion;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the pad box of Fig. 1 including gage mechanismwith which it may be 0 provided;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of a toe support which may be used in connectionwith this pad box;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of sole and shoe gaging means for positioningthe toe portion of the shoe and sole;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the pad, portions of the pad box beingindicated in broken lines;

Fig. '7- is a longitudinal sectional View through the pad of Fig. 6 andadjacent parts of the box structure; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the heel seat and shank portions of thepad of Fig. 1 and adjacent parts of the pad box, the latter parts beingadjusted to a diiferent operative position than that shown in Fig. '7.

The pad box and the pad of my invention are illustrated herewith asembodied in a cement sole attaching machine of the type disclosed insaid LettersPatent of the United States No. 2,047,185. Accordingly, themain casting 12 of the pad box is shown (Fig. 1) as secured by screws 14to a for- Wardly projecting portion of a shelf or bracket 16 whichprojects radially of the rotary turret of the machine. The right-handend (as viewed in Fig. 1) of the casting I2 is provided with guidewaysin which an end wall carrying an outwardly extending bracket l 8ismounted for vertical sliding movement, the bracket being maintained inits uppermost position when the pad box is idle by a pair of compressionsprings 19 the upper ends of which are seated in holes drilled in thebracket 18 and the lower ends of which are supported by a second bracket20 secured by bolts 22 to the casting 12 of the pad box and having arearwardly extending portion 24 which serves to support the fulcrum 26of a bell crank lever 28 which forms part of the mechanism for operatingthe heel end gages.

The left-hand end of the pad box structure consists chiefly of a casting30 approximately U-shaped in plan view and adjustably pivoted at 32 tothe casting I2, lock screws 33 being provided to prevent inadvertentdisplacement of the pivots ,32.

The casting 30 carries the toe-end 1 gaging mechanism of the pad box andis held in adjusted position by mechanism illustrated particularly inFig. 2. This includes a shaft 34 mounted in bearings toward theleft-hand end of the casting 30 and provided exteriorly of the casting30 with a hand wheel 36. Secured to the inner end of the shaft 34 is ashort rock arm 38 the out-er end of which is bored to receive a pin 40the rounded outer end of which is received in a cavity 42 formed in alatch bolt 44 which isshown in Fig. 2 as housed in the casting 30 and ispressed downwardly and to the left by a spring 46. The upper surface ofthe bolt 44 is beveled as shown at 48 and may be received in any one ofa plurality of notches 50 formed in an arouate surface 52 of a block 54secured to arms 56 projecting to the left from and rigid with thecasting I2. The arcuate surface 52 is concentric with the pivot 32 sothat the appropriate one of the several notches 50 may cooperate withthe end of the latch bolt 44 in the diiferent adjusted positions of thecasting 30, the position of the latter being selected so as properly toadjust the pad P housed in the castings I2, 30 of the pad box inaccordance with the angular relation of the shank portion and theforepart of the sole of the shoe which is to be operated upon. Thus thehand wheel 36 may be gripped and rotated a few degrees in acounterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, therebyreleasing the bolt 44 from the notch 50 of the block 54 after which thecasting 30 may be swung upwardly or downwardly about its pivot 32. Then,when the handle 36 is released, the bolt 44 will be urged outwardly bythe spring 46 so that its end 48 engages one of the notches 50 in theblock 44. If it should happen that the end of the bolt 44 engages thearcuate surface 52 between two of the notches 50 or above the uppermostnotch a relatively slight downward pressure on the pad will causesuificient depression of the casting 30 to permit the end of the bolt 44to move into the next lower notch 50. As the illustrated pad box isdesigned for operation particularly on mens shoes, the three notches 50illustrated herein provide for sufficient adjustability of the forepartof the pad but it should be understood that the number of notches may beincreased if greater adjustability is desired.

The top of the casting I2 is inclined upwardly toward the right andcarries a pair of plates 60 (Figs. 1 and 3), one at each side of the padP, secured to the casting I2 by screws 62 and having their inner edgesoverlying the pad as best shown in Fig. 3. The inner edges of the plate50 conform in shape approximately to the outline of the shank portion ofthe sole of a shoe, the plates being spaced apart by a distance some orof an inch greater than the width of that portion of the sole of thewidest shoe which is to be operated upon. Similarly, an approximately U-shaped plate 64 is secured by screws 66 to the top part of the casting30, the plate 64, however, being spaced from the top of the casting 30by a series of rolls 68 (Fig. 1) surrounding the respective screws 66and resting upon a steel plate I0 corresponding in shape to the plate 64and overlying the marginal portion of the pad P. Housed between theplates 64 and I0 is an adjustable mask plate 72 conforming in shapeapproximately to the outline of the forepart of a shoe and formed of twosections pivoted to each other at I4 so that they can be swung towardand from each other widthwise of the pad box in accordance with thewidth of the shoe which is to be operated upon thereby to prevent unduebulging of the pad P when the sole-attaching pressure is applied.

The mask plate I2, moreover, can be moved lengthwise of the pad toaccommodate longer or shorter shoes by mechanism which will now bedescribed.

Rotatably mounted in suitable hearings in the casting 30 is a horizontalshaft I6 the forward end of which is provided with a hand lever I8. Theshaft I6 is provided near its ends with a pair of upwardly extendingrock arms the outer ends of which are provided with rolls 82 located inslots 84 formed in lugs 86 depending from the sections of the mask plateI2, the proportions of the parts being such that the widthwiseadjustment of the mask plate sections I2 will not cause the rolls 82 toleave the slots 84. Thus it will be seen that the mask plate 12 can beadjusted lengthwise of the pad and pad box structure by swinging thehand lever I8. In order to hold the mask plate I2 in adjusted position anotched segment B8 is secured to the rockshaft I6, a spring detent 90being provided in position to engage with one or another of the notchesof the segment 88.

In order that the screws 66 and the rolls 68 shall not interfere withthe lengthwise adjustment of the mask plate I2 the sections of thelatter are provided with slots 92 (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3)which receive the rolls 68, and in order that the relative widthwisepositions of the two sections of the mask plate I2 may be automaticallyadjusted as the plate is moved lengthwise of the pad, so that the platesections will be brought nearer together when a small and thereforeshort shoe, is to be operated upon and will be moved further apart whena long, and therefore wide, shoe is to be operated upon, these slots 92are inclined and somewhat curved whereby engagement of the rolls 68 withthe walls of the slots 92 will move the mask plate sections widthwise ofthe pad about the pivot I4 as they are moved lengthwise.

The pad P, best shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, comprises two liquid filledchambers I00 and I02, intercommunicating as indicated at ml in Figs. '7and 8, and arranged to receive the forepart and the shank portionrespectively of the sole of a shoe. The chamber I02 is approximatelyrectangular in plan view and extends across the entire width of the padP While the chamber I00 is approximately U-shaped, as best shown in Fig.6, leaving a central space I03 which has no bottom wall and whichtherefore does not contain liquid. The space I03, however, is providedwith a top wall I04 which is a continuation of the top wall of thechambers I00 and I02. Preferably, and as illustrated herein, the wallsof the chambers I00, I02 are of a rubber composition, the top walls ofthe chambers as well as the wall I04 being reinforced by one or morelayers I06 of canvas or other suitable fabric. As illustrated herein,the shoe S to which a sole is to be attached is somewhat longer than thepad P, the heel seat portion of the shoe being permitted to projectbeyond the right-hand end of the pad since the heel seat portion of thesole is not to be attached to the upper by cement but is to be securedby suitable pegs or nails as is done in the manufacture of the largemajority of shoes. In attaching soles to shoes with pyroxylin cement,moreover, present-day practice utilizes a strip of cement perhaps of aninch wide extending peripherally of the sole forward of the heel breast75 line, and this strip of cement on any shoe of a size suitable to beoperated on by the illustrated pad box will overlie the chambers I andIE2.

In order to prevent any substantial deformation of the wall portions I08of the chamber I02 and of I II] of the chamber I00, which walls boundthe space I03, the space N13 is occupied by a series of metal plates H2conforming in outline to the space I93 and held from each other byrelatively weak springs II l. Pins H5 carried by and secured to theuppermost and lowermost plates IIZ are alined with and occupy holes inthe other plates. Thus the stack of plates I I2 may be compressed, ifnecessary, when the top wall of the pad is forced downwardly by the soleattaching pressure without, however, applying any substantial pressureto the middle portion of the forepart of the sole while at the same timethe edges of the plates H2 support the walls H38, II!) of the padchambers, preventing them from bulging to any substantial extent intothe space I03. A strip of flexible sheet material II'i may be utilizedto cover the joint between the castings I2 and 30 beneath the forwardend of the shank portion of the pad.

The illustrated machine is intended to operate on shoes of widelydifferent sizes the areas of the soles of which vary accordingly. Ifsuch varying shoes were operated upon by a machine which applied uniformtotal pressure per shoe regardless of the size of the shoe it wouldresult in sinking the small shoes further into the pad than the largeshoe. This is undesirable, both as constituting unnecessarily roughtreatment of the pad and by reason of the fact that excessive sinking ofthe shoe into the pad tends to cause the edge of the sole of the shoe tobe rolled upwardly to an undue extent about the shoe upper. To avoidthis by producing an effect similar to that which would be produced byadding liquid to the pad if a small shoe were to be operated on and byproducing an effect similar to that which would be produced by removingliquid if a large shoe were to be operated on, I have provided a plungerI20 mounted for vertical movement through an opening in the bottom ofthe casting 52, as shown in Figs. '7 and 8. The plunger I2Il is formedwith horizontal bearings to receive a shaft l24 near the ends of whichare mounted a pair of polygonal cams I22 rigidly secured thereto andresting on projecting portions I23 of the casting I2. To permit thevertical adjustment of the shaft I24 and the plunger I28, the formerpasses through vertical slots I26 (Fig. 1) formed in the casting I2 andcarries on its outer end a hand wheel I28 by means of which the shaftI24, the cams I22, and the plunger I28 can be adjusted. The plunger l2!)and the cams H22 are shown in Fig. 7 as adjusted to the position whichthey should occupy if a large shoe is to be operated upon, the plungerI28 being in its lowermost position. If, however, a small shoe is to beoperated upon the plunger I 20 will be raised by rotation of the cam I22thereby forcing the bottom wall of the pad chamber I02 upwardly thusputting the liquid in the chambers I and H12 under pressure and tendingto bulge the top wall of the pad chamber 02 thereby resisting to agreater degree the tendency of the shoe to sink into and deform the topwall of the chamber I52 when the sole attaching pressure is applied.

The illustrated pad box is provided with forepart gage mechanism of thecharacter disclosed in said application Serial No. 636,202. Thismechanism includes a pair of sole-engaging fingers or gages 535, B2arranged to engage the sole of a shoe on the pad substantially at or alittle forward of the ball line of the shoe and a second pair of soleengaging fingers I33, I34 arranged to engage the opposite edges of thesole near the toe of the shoe. These gages, and the manner in which theyare mounted on the pad box, differ from those of United States PatentNo. 2,047,185 principally in that they are larger and of heavierconstruction. In the illustrated device, moreover, while the sole gasesH3, I34 carry shoe positioning gages I35 (Fig. 5) as do thecorresponding gages of the machine illustrated in said patent, the solegages A35, 32 have not been illustrated as carrying shoe positioninggages.

The pad box is also provided with mechanism for positioning the rear endof a sole and shoe on the pad, such mechanism being indicated at I53,I52 in Figs. 1 and 3, and comprising a pair of soleengaging fingers anda pair of shoe engaging fingers. This positioning mechanism is notclaimed herein, since it is not of my invention. It is, however, morefully disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,005,755,granted June 25, 1935, on an application filed in the name of Francis J.Better.

It should be understood, of course, that the pad and pad box hereinillustrated are intended to be used in a machine provided with suitableabutments for engaging the shoe and last, and that these abutments areforced downwardly to apply sole attaching pressure by mechanism whichmay be-of the character disclosed in said United States Patent No.2,047,185. Thus the illustrated machine is provided with a last-engagingabutment 255 and a toe-engaging abutment, or toe rest as it is oftencalled, indicated at 265 in Fig. 1, and provided with an undercut rib,illustrated at 262 (Fig. 4) as T-shaped in cross section, engaged in acorrespondingly-shaped slot formed in a pressme-applying member 26%. Ifthe size or style of the shoe to be operated on is such that a lower toerest is desired, a block 256, of the nature of a thick shim, may beused, the block 255, as shown in Fig. l, having a T-shaped groove in thelower surface and a T-shaped rib in its upper surface and beinginterposed between the toe rest 255] and the pressure applying member264.

Having described by invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A pad for use in applying pressure to work pieces comprising afiuid-filled chamber formed and arranged to underlie the marginalportion of H a work piece and constructed to sustain a substantialpressure, said chamber having an inner wall at least partiallysurrounding a space underlying the central portion of the work piece andincapable of sustaining any substantial pressure, and means within saidspace to sustain the inner wall of said chamber against inwarddisplacement when pressure is applied to a work piece on the pad.

2. A pad for use in applying pressure to shoe bottoms comprising afluid-filled chamber formed and arranged to underlie the marginalportion of a shoe bottom and constructed to sustain a substantialpressure, said chamber having an inner wall at least partiallysurrounding a space underlying the central portion of the shoe bottomand incapable of sustaining any substantial pres sure, a plurality ofplates within said space arranged in a pile and each of substantiallythe same shape and area as the plan of said space,

and means tending to separate the plates, whereby the edge surfaces ofsaid plates sustain the inner wall of said chamber against substantialdisplacement when pressure is applied to a shoe on the pad.

3. A pad for use in applying pressure to shoe bottoms comprising afluid-filled chamber formed and arranged to underlie the marginalportion of the forepart of a shoe bottom and constructed to sustain asubstantial pressure, said chamber surrounding a space underlying thecentral portion of the forepart of the shoe bottom, a pile of plateswithin said space each of substantially the same shape and area as theplan of said space, and

' springs between said plates whereby the edge surfaces of said platesare normally spaced apart and are eifective at all times to sustain theinner wall of said chamber against substantial displacement underpressure applied to the pad.

4. A machine for use in applying pressure to shoe bottoms comprising ashoe-receiving pad having a fluid-filled chamber provided with ashoe-engaging wall and an opposite distortable wall, means for applyingpressure to a shoe on the pad and for maintaining the shoe underpressure, a plunger adjustable independently of the means for applyingand maintaining the pressure to force said opposite wall of the padtoward said shoe-receiving wall to a greater or less extent, and a camserving as the sole means of support for said plunger and rotatable toadjust the plunger and to support it in various positions.

5. A pad for use in applying pressure to shoe bottoms comprising afluid-filled chamber having a shoe-engaging wall and an oppositedistortable wall, means for supporting said pad, a plunger carried bysaid supporting means and operable to force said opposite wall towardsaid shoe-receiving wall to a greater or less extent, and a polygonalcam member supporting said plunger and engaging a surface of saidsup-porting means and rotatable to adjust the plunger and to support itat various elevations.

6. A pad box for use in applying pressure to shoe bottoms comprising apad having a wall formed and arranged to engage the forepart and theshank portion of a shoe bottom, a supporting structure for the padcomprising a member underlying the shank portion of the pad, and amember underlying the forepart of the pad pivoted to said first-namedmember about an axis substantially underlying the forward end of theshank portion of a shoe in operative position on the pad, saidfirst-named member hav ing a forwardly projecting portion underlyingsaid second-named member, and a latch constructed and arranged to securethe projecting portion of said second-named member to said first-namedmember thereby securing said two members in adjusted position relativelyto each other.

7. A pad box for use in applying pressure to shoe bottoms comprising apad having a wall formed and arranged to engage the fo-repiart and theshank portion of a shoe bottom, a supporting structure for the padcomprising a relatively stationary member underlying the shank portionof the pad, and a member underlying the forepart of the pad pivoted tosaid relatively stationary member about an axis substantially underlyingthe forward end of the shank portion of a shoe in operative position onthe pad, said relatively stationary member having a forwardly projectingportion underlying said pivoted member, and a latch carried by thepivoted member and engaging said forwardly extending projection tosecure the pivoted member in adjusted position relatively to thestationary member.

8. A pad for use in applying pressure to shoe bottoms having ashoe-receiving wall and a mask plate overlying said wall, said maskplate comprising sections pivoted to each other and having a peripheryshaped approximately to conform to the end portion of a shoe wherebyexcessive bulging of the shoe-engaging surface of the pad when pressureis applied is prevented, means for moving the mask plate lengthwise ofthe pad in accordance with the length of the shoe to be operated on, andmeans for causing the sections of the mask plate to swing toward andfrom each other about their pivot according as they are moved lengthwiseof the pad to accommodate a smaller or a larger shoe.

9. A pad box for use in applying pressure to shoe bottoms comprising afluid-filled chamber having a shoe-receiving wall of flexible material,a support for said chamber, and a mask plate carried by said support andoverlying said flexible wall, said mask plate comprising sectionspivoted to each other and having a periphery shaped approximately toconform to the end portion of a shoe whereby excessive bulging of theshoe-engaging surface of the pad when pressure is applied is prevented,means for moving the mask plate lengthwise of the pad in accordance withthe length of the shoe to be operated on, and pin-and-slot connectionsbetween the mask plate sections and the support, the slots beinginclined relatively to each other to cause the sections of the maskplate to move toward and from each other about their pivot according asthey are moved lengthwise of the pad to accommodate a smaller or alarger shoe.

10. A pad for use in applying pressure to shoe bottoms having ashoe-engaging wall, a mask plate comprising a pair of members pivoted toeach other and having a periphery shaped to conform to the outline ofthe end portion of a shoe, said mask plate overlying the shoe-engagingwall of the pad to prevent excessive bulging of the pad, a support forthe mask plate and the pad, means for moving the mask plate lengthwiseof the pad, and pin-and-slot connections between the mask plate sectionsand the support for the pad, the slots of said connections beinginclined toward the rear of the pad so that lengthwise movement of themask plate also moves the mask plate sections about their pivot towardand from each other, thereby narrowing the space between the sectionswhen a short shoe is to be operated on and widening that space when along shoe is to be operated on.

11. A pad for use in applying pressure to shoe bottoms having ashoe-engaging wall, a mask plate comprising a pair of members pivot-edto each other and having a periphery shaped to conform to the outline ofthe end portion of a shoe, said mask plate overlying the shoe-engagingwall of the pad to prevent excessive bulging of the pad, a support forthe mask plate and the pad, a lever fulcrumed to the support,connections between the lever and the mask plate whereby movement of thelever about its fulcrum moves the mask plate lengthwise of the pad, andpin-and-slot connections between the mask plate sections and the supportfor the pad, the

slots of said connections being inclined toward the rear of the pad sothat lengthwise movement of the mask plate also moves the mask platesections about their pivot toward and from each other, thereby narrowingthe space between the sections when a short shoe is to be operated onand widening that space when a long shoe is to be operated on.

12. A pad for use in applying pressure to shoe bottoms having ashoe-engaging wall, a mask plate comprising a pair of members pivoted toeach other and having a periphery shaped to conform to the outline ofthe end portion of a shoe, said mask plate overlying the shoe-engagingwall of the pad to prevent excessive bulging of the pad, a support forthe mask plate and the pad, means for moving the mask plate lengthwiseof the pad, and means comprising pins engaged in slots and connectingthe mask plate sections and the pad support, said slots being inclinedtoward the rear of the pad so that lengthwise movement of the mask platemoves the mask plate sections about their pivot toward and from eachother, thereby narrowing the space between the sections when a shortshoe is to be operated on and widening that space when a long shoe is tobe operated on.

13. A pad for use in applying pressure to shoe bottoms having ashoe-engaging wall, a mask plate comprising a pair of members pivoted toeach other and having a periphery shaped to conform to the outline ofthe end portion of a shoe, said mask plate overlying the shoe-engagingwall of the pad to prevent excessive bulging of the pad, a support forthe mask plate and the pad, a lever fulcrumed to the support,connections between the lever and the mask plate whereby movement of thelever about its fulcrum moves the mask plate lengthwise of the pad, andmeans for narrowing the space between the sections when a short shoe isto be operated on and widening that space when a long shoe is to beoperated on comprising pin-and-slot connections between the mask platesections and the support for the pad, the slots of said connectionsbeing inclined toward the rear of the pad so that lengthwise movement ofthe mask plate moves the mask plate sections about their pivot towardand from each other.

LLOYD G. KNOWLES.

